Published: Friday, May 3, 2013 at 1:22 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, May 3, 2013 at 1:22 p.m.

Cashier Katherine Richardson has a front-row view of the 5-to-7 p.m. rush hour madness from her outpost at the BP gas station on Southport-Supply Road.

Traffic can sometimes backup for miles as hundreds of commuters converge at the corridor to get onto Oak Island or into Southport.

"It gets very crazy, and there are a lot of horns honking out there," she said. "I see plenty of accidents."

The N.C. Department of Transportation hopes to change all that with a new $22 million connector road that is expected to help the coming and going flow smoothly. And the goal is to keep the construction work from adding to drivers' pain as mush as possible.

"When we were designing the project, we looked at ways to minimize the impact," said Jackson Provost, division construction engineer.

The project, dubbed the Long Beach Road Connector, will create a road branching west from Long Beach Road near the Surf Cinemas movie theater, crossing N.C. 211 west of the existing intersection and then continuing to N.C. 87 near the N.C. 87/133 split at Sunny Point.

The new N.C. 211 intersection will be about 900 feet west of the existing one.

It will take two years to complete, and some construction is already under way.

"The public concern is that it's a two-year project and it will be affecting traffic, but that's not the case." Provost said. "There are two miles of new – out in the woods, so to speak – road construction that people will never know anything about." And the impact from road closures is restricted, Provost said.

Road closures will only occur from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the summer, with the department allowing for some weekend road closures during winter months.

There are penalties written into the contract, Provost added.

"The contractor has to be out of the road to meet the morning rush-hour traffic," he said. "For every 15 minutes over they will be charged $500."

Driveway access on the new road will be limited to keep traffic flowing, Provost said.

Oak Island Mayor Betty Wallace said although DOT is being mindful of the problems construction could create there, drivers should exercise some patience.

"The increased convenience will be worth the short period of construction," she said.

Paul Rudolph, a frequent commuter on the roads, said he agreed it will be worth it while fueling up his car Thursday.

The HVAC technician with Mansfield Brothers added he can't wait until it's completed because traffic is a nightmare. The company is located on Long Beach Road.

"When we get a call at work around 4:30 (p.m.), no one ever wants to volunteer to head out to it," he said. "It'll take you hours before you get home."

<p>Cashier Katherine Richardson has a front-row view of the 5-to-7 p.m. rush hour madness from her outpost at the BP gas station on Southport-Supply Road.</p><p>Traffic can sometimes backup for miles as hundreds of commuters converge at the corridor to get onto Oak Island or into Southport.</p><p>"It gets very crazy, and there are a lot of horns honking out there," she said. "I see plenty of accidents."</p><p>The N.C. Department of Transportation hopes to change all that with a new $22 million connector road that is expected to help the coming and going flow smoothly. And the goal is to keep the construction work from adding to drivers' pain as mush as possible.</p><p>"When we were designing the project, we looked at ways to minimize the impact," said Jackson Provost, division construction engineer.</p><p>The project, dubbed the Long Beach Road Connector, will create a road branching west from Long Beach Road near the Surf Cinemas movie theater, crossing N.C. 211 west of the existing intersection and then continuing to N.C. 87 near the N.C. 87/133 split at Sunny Point.</p><p>The new N.C. 211 intersection will be about 900 feet west of the existing one. </p><p>It will take two years to complete, and some construction is already under way.</p><p>"The public concern is that it's a two-year project and it will be affecting traffic, but that's not the case." Provost said. "There are two miles of new – out in the woods, so to speak – road construction that people will never know anything about." And the impact from road closures is restricted, Provost said. </p><p>Road closures will only occur from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the summer, with the department allowing for some weekend road closures during winter months.</p><p>There are penalties written into the contract, Provost added.</p><p>"The contractor has to be out of the road to meet the morning rush-hour traffic," he said. "For every 15 minutes over they will be charged $500."</p><p>Driveway access on the new road will be limited to keep traffic flowing, Provost said.</p><p>Oak Island Mayor Betty Wallace said although DOT is being mindful of the problems construction could create there, drivers should exercise some patience.</p><p>"The increased convenience will be worth the short period of construction," she said.</p><p>Paul Rudolph, a frequent commuter on the roads, said he agreed it will be worth it while fueling up his car Thursday.</p><p>The HVAC technician with Mansfield Brothers added he can't wait until it's completed because traffic is a nightmare. The company is located on Long Beach Road. </p><p>"When we get a call at work around 4:30 (p.m.), no one ever wants to volunteer to head out to it," he said. "It'll take you hours before you get home." </p><p><i></p><p><a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9907"><b>Jason Gonzales</b></a>: 343-2075</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @StarNews_Jason</i></p>